Teaching Middle School ELA

Today we're going to share three strategies for setting yourself up for success during the holiday season so you can walk out the door with a smile on your face knowing that you have plans throughout the year that will make December a wonderful time to spend with family and friends. Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.ebteacher.com/EBTC-TMSELA Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @eb...

Last week, someone shared this concept with me, and it was so fascinating and inspiring that I just knew it was going to get to be our Monday Mindset for the week. Here's to another great week, living intentionally. Caitlin  EBTC $1 Trial:  https://www.ebteacher.com/EBTC-TRIAL-TMSELA

There are times when something just does not go the way we expected it. That instantly creates a tiny bubble of frustration that grows inside as other things start going sideways too. Like a normal human being, some days are just bad days. It’s important that we acknowledge that but more importantly, building an attitude of gratitude despite the negative things you can count that happened. Links m...

The other day I was listening to a short snippet from the CEO of a basketball camps company about "being about it." And the premise was this. All too often we sit in thinking mode. We have an idea or something we want to go do or a dream we want to accomplish, but we don't ever act. And it got me thinking about you, as a teacher. As teachers, it can be incredibly challenging to &quo...

Caitlin and Jessica will be talking about hosting Publishing Parties to celebrate your students’ written work at the end of each major writing unit. We will spill all the details you need to set this up and pitch in ideas you can use in your own classroom! Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Publishing-Party-Toolkit-8747298?utm_source=EB%20Email&utm_cam...

As teachers, we are problem solvers. It’s just a natural part of what we do and who we are. But the other day, I heard this concept called “Compassionate Emptiness” from former President of Starbucks, Howard Behar. The idea is that what most people need (and I immediately thought of students) is someone to just listen. To be there to listen to them with compassion - and nothing else. Hence, the em...

The RACE writing formula simply stands for “restate, answer, cite, and explain”. This is widely used by middle school ELA teachers teaching writing as it makes a great tool to help learners construct their answers in a clear, logical format. However, this formula proves to be challenging when students need to move into essay writing. FREE RESOURCE: Curious about trying Batch Planning this year? Si...

I'm sure you know the old adage that we are who we surround ourselves with. Meaning, when we surround ourselves with A+ players in life, we inherently and subconsciously get elevated to their level. And vice versa. If we're constantly surrounding ourselves with negative thinkers or people who always complain and aren't living the 100% version of their life ... we will eventually get...

In this episode, our guest Neill Williams shares the BEST practices you can habitually apply to improve your work week and personal schedule while increasing your productivity and creativity. Caitlin’s personal friend and life coach, Neill, was once the girl who was focused on climbing up the corporate ladder which compelled her to work 50 to 60 hours a week, believing that if she worked more hour...

I truly hope each week you find time to listen and to think about each idea because a lot of these simple mindset shifts can really start to positively impact your life. How great would it be to share these topics with your own students every Monday and have a discussion about what it means to them in their lives? What a beautiful way to build classroom community, culture, and a sense of belonging...

Halloween in Middle School can go two ways! You can pretend it’s just another day and keep it business as usual. You have your bell ringer assignment ready to go, you keep reading the next chapter in Refugee, your students take the grammar quiz for the unit you just wrapped up. OR you create a memorable Halloween experience that your students will LOVE, and it’s completely zero-prep and standards-...

I truly hope each week you find time to listen and to think about each idea because a lot of these simple mindset shifts can really start to positively impact your life. How great would it be to share these topics with your own students every Monday and have a discussion about what it means to them in their lives? What a beautiful way to build classroom community, culture, and a sense of belonging...

Today, we’re going to share 3 low-prep ideas you can use in your classroom to surprise and delight your students and make the lesson memorable. These ideas all make wonderful “into” lessons. If you are new to the podcast, an “into” lesson is part of the EB Lesson Planning Framework, which consists of into, through, and beyond lessons. Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us @ebacademics and let us kn...

Last week, someone shared this concept with me, and it was so fascinating and inspiring that I just knew it was going to get to be our Monday Mindset for the week. Here's to another great week,  living intentionally. Caitlin

Confession time: Do you dread teaching writing? Do you struggle to teach writing and do your students struggle to produce anything passable that doesn’t take you hours to grade? If so, consider what might be your biggest struggle with writing. Whatever the struggle, has writing become your least favorite part of teaching English because it’s just SO. MUCH. WORK? Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag u...

How often do you celebrate your wins? Do you take time out of each day to reflect and write down (or even speak out loud) the wins from that day? Even the smallest of wins really matter in helping you build confidence, remember your why, and truly realize the great work you've done. Listen in as I explore this concept more with you (and share a bit about what Team EB does on a weekly basis)....

In this episode, Caitlin and Holly from Research and Play discuss 3 important things we can learn from a kindergarten teacher. Holly shares great insight on setting up a collaborative classroom, implementing inquiry based learning experiences, and considering aligning curriculum and values from Pre-K or Kindergarten all the way through middle school and beyond. Are you enjoying the podcast? Tag us...

As a teacher, it's very likely a large portion of your identity is "teacher" - perhaps even your entire identity. It is so deeply embedded into the fabric of who you are that sometimes it might be difficult to separate your teacher identity from the other areas of your life. Resulting in burnout, exhaustion, frustration, and perhaps even losing a sense of self outside of teaching. W...

In this episode, Caitlin and Jessica will discuss why literature circles aren’t their favorite and what you can do to actually make them an effective tool in your classroom. They share 3 simple steps for best structuring your lit circles, all while keeping students engaged in rigorous learning and discussions! Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-...

If you had to rate yourself on a scale of 1-10, how vulnerable would you say you are? How likely are you to open your heart to others? How often do you let others in? And how do you think that might be impacting your ability to build those 10 out of 10 relationships with others?  (students, parents, family, colleagues, children) I was doing a Peloton strength training class with Jess Sims this mor...

In this episode, Caitlin and Jessica will give lots of inspiration and ideas for creating authentic moments in your classroom – moments that students will look forward to and remember for a long time. The secret to getting your students to bring their best effort is to treat your class more like a sport and your students more like a team. Links mentioned in this episode: https://ebacademics.com/20...

What if we saw the challenges in our lives as opportunities for our own growth? As a way to stop and ask ourselves, "What lesson am I supposed to be learning from this?" Take a listen to this week's Monday Mindset and let me know what you think. It's time to flip the script on disappointing and frustrating situations and use them to better yourself. Life happens FOR us. Here&ap...

At some point this year, it’s going to happen. You’ll get super sick unexpectedly, have a child or parent to care for, or be suddenly asked to attend a workshop. No matter the reason you’ll be out of the classroom, you need sub plans at the ready, so you don’t have to worry about your students while you’re attending to something else. Today, Caitlin and Jessica will show you just how to make these...

Most of us live in a world of "either/or" ... meaning, we don't think we can actually have it all. You either get to be great at your job OR you get to be a great partner/friend/parent/etc. You either get to do a great job with your workout regime OR you get to go out with your friends on the weekend. The world of "either/or" doesn't serve you very well. It comes from...

Every ELA teacher needs some go-to activities for their teacher toolbag. Activities that can be used with any novel (or short story) but that still help students improve their reading skills and deeply analyze the text. Activities that can be used again and again without losing their effectiveness. We call these “rinse and repeat” activities. Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.teacherspa...